


Go Ahead and Ask Her (For Happy Ever After)

by AshKnight



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen - Freeform, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-19 23:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5983660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKnight/pseuds/AshKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan is a florist who makes frequent deliveries to the local hospital.  As soon as Regina Mills joins the hospital staff as their new nurse, Emma falls for her.  Inspired by Chris Rice's song, "Lemonade."  Two-shot.  SwanQueen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beauty of Romancing

Getting flowers is usually either something really good or really bad. There's no, 'Happy Wednesday! Here's some flowers!' It's either, 'Happy anniversary! I love you!' 'Get well soon,' or 'My condolences.' This is especially true at hospitals.

On any given day, Emma Swan could go from delivering flowers for 'Congrats! It's a boy!' to 'Sorry for your loss,' in a matter of minutes, just walking up and down the halls of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The happiness of some families welcoming new members into their lives made her tear up as she delivered the bouquets, and the sorrow of others who were saying their goodbyes often did the same. Still, on most days, she was able to hold herself together and offer her own condolences and congratulations without an emotional response. That was her job. To deliver flowers. To make people happy, or to ease their pain. That was what she did for a living.

It did get old sometimes, though, especially when she had to deliver a cheesy bouquet of 12 roses with some cliché note saying, 'Thanks for last night.' That was what irritated her most. Flowers sent without sincerity. Almost exclusively from men.

Aside from that, she was mostly pleased with her career choice. Her parents owned the flower shop, and at first, she'd wanted nothing to do with it, but once she realized that nothing else seemed to suit her fancy, she became more open to the idea of taking up the family business. Plus, flowers normally cheer people up, even during dark times, which was what Emma truly loved most about her job. Flowers make precious moments even more special and painful moments a little less difficult to bear. They remind people of the beauty in life, and Emma got to see that reminder spread across her customer's faces in the form of a smile almost every day.

The hospital was challenging, though, because it tended to be one of the sadder stops along her delivery route. Funeral homes were emotionally difficult as well, but she was happy to be a part of something so important and to be able to share some beauty with grieving families. However, her least favorite task was weddings. There was nothing she hated more than the sickly-sweet smell of a wedding venue covered in an excess of flowers. She loved seeing people smile and helping a romance blossom. That was true. But weddings were just too much.

Besides, it didn't help that Emma hadn't had a lover in years. In fact, her first and only experience with a lover was back in high school. Now that she was turning twenty-four the following month, her family was starting to wonder if she'd ever find a partner. She wasn't in a rush, though. She just didn't like having her relationship status rubbed in her face while two people in love tied the knot.

Still, the hospital was where she did the majority of her business. Her parents handled most of the personal orders from the shop itself, and she took care of the deliveries, which meant that she was at Massachusetts General almost every day of the week. That being the case, she knew most of the doctors and nurses there and offered them a friendly wave every morning that she arrived. They were all grateful for her bright, warm smile and the cheer that her cargo brought to the patients.

One such morning, however, she found someone new sitting at the front desk. A woman she'd never seen before. She appeared to be a nurse. Dark hair, dark eyes, olive complexion… beautiful, in every sense of the word. So beautiful, in fact, that Emma completely stopped pushing her cart full of the day's orders and stared directly at her in a haze of dumbfounded awe.

"Emma?" one of the female doctors addressed her, putting her hand on her shoulder. "You alright, dear?"

"Oh! Doctor Grayson! Hi!" Emma cried, shaking herself from her stupor as she turned to face the woman. "Yes, I'm quite fine, actually. Doing great! How are you?"

"Rough day already, I'm afraid. I'm sorry to say that I think your deliveries for this morning will be given mostly in the wake of bad news. Things seem to be looking a bit dreary around here at the moment. We're certainly happy to see you here, bringing some cheer to all of us."

The woman offered Emma a small but sincere smile as she let her hand drop from the florist's shoulder and turned away. The flower-bearing blonde turned back towards her cart, but as she did so, the young woman at the desk caught her eye once more. She didn't even try to look away. In fact, she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was staring.

"Can… Can I help you?" the mysterious woman finally asked as she looked up from her computer screen to meet the Emma's gaze.

"I, uh…" she blurted out, realizing all at once what she'd been doing. "I was looking for room 468?"

"Emma," the woman beside the new nurse laughed. "You know exactly where that room is. It's on the fourth floor, right in the middle of the first hallway."

"Oh… Right… Yeah," the blonde muttered, staring back down at her cart and pushing it slowly in the wrong direction.

"Emma, are you sure you're alright, dear? The… The elevator's the other way."

"Oh! I, um… I had some stuff on this floor too that I forgot about."

The florist's face turned the same shade of red as the tulips she had in some of her bouquets as she pushed her cart around the corner.

By the time she returned the next day, she'd nearly pushed the beautiful young woman from her mind. (Mostly with thoughts of, 'She's a nurse. Way too good for you,' which were combatted by 'Damn, she's beautiful.') Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Emma, the woman was once again sitting at the front desk, working on paperwork, when she arrived with her delivery.

"Good morning, guys-" she started to say, but the brunette immediately captured her complete attention and caused her to crash her cart into a parked, empty wheelchair.

"Oh, my gosh, Emma!" a different female doctor exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and rushing over to help as some of the bouquets fell over. "Are you okay?"

"Shhhi-" she started to say, but caught herself as she looked around at the audience of people staring at her, quickly correcting her word choice to, "Frick. I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, dear," the older woman chuckled, putting a comforting hand on Emma's back as she used her other to help straighten the arrangements that had fallen over. "You should be good to go now. Just be careful, okay? We wouldn't want that to be a patient!"

Once again, Emma turned as red as her tulips and turned away, but just as luck would have it, she had turned in the direction of the newer nurse, who was staring straight at her. Oh, God, the blonde was thinking. Now I've gone and done it. Made a real ass of myself. Per usual. But she said nothing, instead resolving to quickly turn her attention back to her work as she disappeared around the corner.

For the next two days, oddly enough, she had no deliveries to the hospital. One day she brought flowers for a funeral, and the next she had hardly any deliveries at all and spent most of the day bored, playing games on her phone as she waited for her parents to call her with pick-up and drop-off information. On the third day, though, for some reason, there was an overflow of orders to be sent to Massachusetts General, and even though it was supposed to be her day off, and their part-time assistant was supposed to take the job, it was too much for him to do on his own. Thus, they decided collectively that the assistant would do the regular deliveries and Emma would take care of the hospital.

Unfortunately, this time, Emma had not been able to push the thoughts of the beautiful nurse from her mind. They were as fresh as the flowers she carried with her, so as she pushed her cart through the front doors, just as she always had, small beads of sweat began to form on her palms and on the back of her neck. She approached the desk slowly as she frantically tried to decide whether or not to say hello to the group of women (and one gentleman doctor) behind the desk. She decided against it, instead turning her cart before she reached the desk as she moved to proceed down the hallway.

Just as luck would have it, all of them noticed her – including the new young woman – and one of them decided to say 'hello.'

"Hi, Emma!" the woman said happily. "Great to see you! Too bad it's raining outside, huh? I'm sure your flowers will cheer everyone up, though!"

"H-Hi, Doctor Grayson… I… Yeah. I sure do hope so."

As she replied, the blonde rubbed her arm nervously as her glance shot around the room, always coming back to rest briefly on the young beauty sitting in front of the computer screen. For some reason, the nurse was looking sullen and withdrawn. Before Emma had a chance to wonder why, the gentleman doctor was making his way around the desk and patting her on the shoulder in a friendly gesture of good will. She forced herself to nod and smile, but inside, she was consumed by thoughts of the young melancholy nurse who had recently joined their staff.

Of course, Emma's flowers did bring some joy to the hospital and cheer up some of those who were having a rough go of things. But it didn't cheer up the beautiful new nurse, so it didn't cheer up Emma either. For some reason, she felt determined to bring some sunshine to the woman's day. Before leaving the hospital, she made an effort to – as casually as humanly possible – ask Doctor Grayson for the young woman's name, which she received with a knowing laugh. She wanted to ask if the woman was alright, but knew that would be over-stepping her boundaries, so she decided against it.

Later that afternoon, she returned to the hospital with her second batch of orders. This time, a few beads of sweat dripped down her back as she approached the front desk.

"Um… Pardon me, but… this one's for Regina Mills?" Emma stated uncertainly, looking around at the group. "I guess since I know the rest of you, this must be for you," she added, addressing the new nurse who sat behind the counter.

"W-What?" the nurse stuttered, eyes snapping away from the computer screen to rest on the large bouquet of flowers sitting on the desk in front of her. "But who could they possibly be from?"

"Read the card?"

Regina reached out cautiously and took the small note card from the bouquet and stared down at the three words written in flawless cursive.

Cheer up, Sunshine.

At first, Emma's stomach dropped. Then, when the woman lifted her face, still looking horribly confused, but now also somewhat brighter, Emma began to feel better.

"They're peach roses, white daisies, and blue delphinium. A unique combination. Someone must really fancy you," the florist explained with a nervous smile. Then, she quickly told the nurse, "Have a good afternoon, Miss," and hurried off before the woman even had a chance to say, 'Thank you.'

The following day, when Emma arrived at the hospital, she found a different set of doctors huddled around the desk in the lobby. Regina was nowhere to be seen. She must be doing rounds, the blonde reasoned. It was then that she noticed the flowers perched on the front of the desk, next to the clipboard of paperwork. They were still just as fresh as the day before and stood proudly, their petals soft but firm as they brightened the room.

Over the next few days, Emma's arrival at the hospital and Regina's turn to make rounds seemed to coincide, since the young woman had not been present at the desk when the florist had arrived. On the seventh day, she saw the woman briefly as she hurried around a corner heading in the opposite direction as Emma was about to bring her cart. What she noticed next, before continuing on her way, was that the flowers on the desk were finally beginning to wilt.

Surely enough, the next day, Emma arrived with a 'special delivery' for the young woman. This time, the blonde found that the nurse conveniently happened to be sitting at the desk in front of the computer screen once again.

"Good morning, Miss Mills," Emma addressed her shyly. "I believe I have another delivery for you."

"What? But I-"

"That's what it says. Right here–" Emma pointed to the tag on the flowers where her name was printed "-on the tag."

"But… I…"

"It seems you have a secret admirer. A patient, perhaps? Rumor has it, from Doctor Grayson, that you're a very gifted and well-loved nurse."

"Oh, I… That's…" Regina tried, but trailed off, failing to form the sounds needed to communicate with the woman on the other side of the desk.

Instead, the nurse took the flowers gingerly, setting them beside the ones that had wilted.

"They're so pretty," the nurse finally sighed, tenderly touching the faded petals of the old bouquet. "I don't want to throw them out."

"That's what the new ones are for, I assume," Emma told her sweetly, finally managing a nervous smile.

"I don't understand why anyone would want to give me flowers. I mean… I… I've never gotten them before."

"What? Really? Surely, someone must have-"

The brunette laughed, leaning back in the chair, and said, "You're funny, Emma."

The blonde shivered when she heard her name on the woman's lips. She could almost taste the sound.

Finally, she managed to formulate a response and said, "All I know is that every woman deserves flowers, and every woman deserves to feel beautiful."

This earned a blush from the nurse, who quickly looked away, her eyes landing on the base of the pink glass of the vase containing her flowers.

"Pink lilies," Emma commented slowly. When Regina made no response, but lifted her eyes to the petals of the flowers and started to smile, she continued, "They match your complexion right now."

The joke was not lost on Regina, who blushed even brighter and spun around in her chair so that her back was facing the florist. The blonde's heart skipped a beat when the sound of the woman's soft giggles of nervous embarrassment reached her ears.

"You have an excellent day, Miss," the green-eyed woman said with a gentle smile, savoring the light noise that was filling her ears.

As she turned away, though, Regina spun back around in the chair and finally got her chance to say, 'Thank you.'

"These are wonderful. I just wish I knew who sent them."

With a shrug, Emma responded, "No note this time. Sometimes it's better not to know," and turned to make her own rounds of the hospital.

The following day, Emma arrived with yet another delivery, but the woman was not at the desk, so she left the flowers with Doctor Grayson, along with her own handwritten note. This she scribbled in sloppy print, so that it looked nothing like the note she'd given with the first bouquet.

'Pink roses, pink Asiatic lilies, pink carnations, and pink waxflower, all tied up with a pink bow. Someone thinks pink suits you! No note this time either. Enjoy!

Your loyal florist,

Emma'

Emma didn't see the nurse again over the next few days, but the new flowers remained on the desk. She smiled as she gazed at them, happy to see the buds still looking healthy. She was so distracted by their continued presence in the lobby that she stopped in her tracks to gaze at them thoughtfully, just a little longer. Before she had a chance to shake herself out of her daze, she was startled by a tall, handsome doctor who addressed her from behind.

"Good morning, Emma!" the dark-haired man exclaimed loudly. "Lovely to see you."

"Hi, Doctor Quinn," the blonde responded with a weak, distracted smile.

"Are you alright, dear? You seem-"

"Oh, don't worry about her, Doctor Quinn," an older woman interrupted with a sly smirk. "She's just a little love-struck."

"Pardon?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Miss Emma here has been distracted for days now."

"I'm… going to let you ladies talk it out… by yourselves… Have a nice day, Emma!"

With that, the man quickly turned around and hurried away, having no interest in being a part of the discussion that was to take place between the two women.

"What the hell was that about?" Emma asked under her breath. "I'm not-"

"It's okay, Emma. All of us noticed, except – unfortunately – her."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about…" the blonde lied, looking anywhere but into the doctor's eyes.

"Come now, Emma. I'm old enough to know when I see someone falling head over heels for a girl."

"I'm not… I…"

"Listen, I'm not going to tell her, but you probably should. She's still completely oblivious about the flowers."

"But how… how did you know?" Emma asked, gaping at the woman.

"It's the way you look at her. The way you explain what each of the flowers is. And the way you light up when she smiles."

With a sigh, the blonde pushed a hand through her hair and looked down at her boots.

"She's never going to look at me the way she looks at those flowers."

"Oh, I don't think that's true." The woman smiled at her brightly, then added, "But you might want to give her a little hint, you know? Just… give her a clue."

"She doesn't even notice me. What's the point?"

"She will, Emma. You just need to open her eyes a little bit and help her see what's right in front of her."

"But how?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

The woman's sly smile returned as she patted the young florist on the shoulder then turned away, leaving Emma standing awkwardly alone in the middle of the lobby.

Back in her delivery truck, after her rounds at the hospital, she was left with only a few more private home deliveries for the day. Given that she had plenty of time, she plugged in her phone and put the music on shuffle. The song that came up first was ironically applicable to the situation, and just further exacerbated her frustration.

'So go ahead and ask her

For happy ever after

'Cause nobody knows what's coming

So why not take a chance on loving?'

Emma leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes with a sigh, allowing herself to relax, if only for a few moments. Doctor Grayson is probably right, she reasoned with herself. I need to just tell her. But everything inside her rebelled against this idea, and even her stomach heaved in a wave of nausea as she thought about making the confession. How was she supposed to hint at something she could barely admit to herself? Finally, she turned the key in the ignition and continued on her route to make other people quite a bit happier than she felt in that moment.

She spent the rest of her evening closing up the flower shop. She had sent her parents home early and offered to close the store herself. Though her parents had seen it as a wonderful gesture of kindness and an act of altruism, Emma had ulterior motives. Once the shop was closed down, she stood in the middle of the show room and looked around at the numerous, diverse flowers surrounding her. The room was bright with color, and it reminded her of Regina's smile. God, that's sappy, she was thinking, and scolded herself for the thought. I'm so immature.

With a sigh, she sat down on the counter and continued to gaze at the various displays. All different colors filled the room in a scattered rainbow, but as beautiful as it was to look at, Emma still felt a heavy sadness lingering.

"Now what?" she asked the flowers, looking sorrowful and melancholy, just as the nurse had the day before she'd received her first delivery from Emma.

The answer came in the form of – you guessed it! – flowers. This bouquet was also pink, but had the flare of some purple and white, which – in Emma's opinion – made it special. Of course, her choice of arrangement was directly from the heart, which made it even more nerve-wracking. After she put it together, she set it in the back room to pick up the next day with the rest of the deliveries.

That morning, she arrived at the shop early to put her personal arrangement in the truck before her mother noticed and asked any invasive questions. Her hand shook as she penned the note, but she managed to get it all out without having to scribble over any mistakes. She started to sweat during the drive to the hospital and seriously considered pulling over to dump a bottle of water over herself, but realized quickly that that would look ridiculous. By the time she arrived at Massachusetts General, she was shaking even worse than before, but what terrified her more was that the sweat was probably visible on her shirt.

As she climbed out of the vehicle, she checked her appearance in the reflection on the window and was relieved to find that she was not visibly wearing her anxiety. Once inside, she forced herself to walk straight up to the desk where – just as luck would have it – Regina was sitting quietly in front of the computer, not looking sad, but certainly not looking elated either. For once, the nurse was alone. Even though Emma's legs were currently made of Jello, she made it to the desk, but was unable to look into Regina's eyes when the woman lifted her head.

"Good morning, Emma," the nurse greeted her, smiling at last.

Emma's heart fluttered as though it were defective, and when she opened her mouth to speak, she nearly fumbled over the words. Thankfully, though, she caught herself, and managed to appear calm and collected, even though she was more than terrified.

"I have quite the beautiful bouquet for you today, Miss. Someone must reallythink you're special," Emma announced, reaching into her cart and carefully lifting the bouquet.

When she set it down on the desk, Regina's eyes went wide.

"Oh, wow," the nurse said breathlessly. "Those are…"

"Almost as beautiful as you," the blonde said softly, setting the note down on the desk and turning away.

She pushed the cart in the opposite direction, leaving Regina alone to read the note in private.

The first part of the note was written in the printed chicken-scratch that Emma had used to write the note she'd given the nurse from herself. Her signature at the bottom, though, was written in the flawless cursive she'd used for the first note that was supposedly from a 'secret admirer.' She hoped that would be enough of a hint for the woman to make the connection, but as she rounded the corner with her cart, she became unsure. Mostly, she wasn't certain which was more frightening: having Regina notice and have the realization of who the flowers were actually from, or having Regina be completely oblivious. Either way, she was terrified of both outcomes and was happy to hurry on her way to make the rest of her deliveries.

As luck would have it, as soon as Regina saw the note, her heart stopped from both surprise and something else. Something unfamiliar. Excitement. At first, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she was imagining it? But when she pulled the previous notes from her personal cubby, the penmanship of both types of handwriting matched.

'Long-stem lavender roses, purple statice, Stargazer lilies, and dianthus. Unique, like you, but not as pretty. I'm sure they were chosen especially for you.

Your loyal florist,

Emma'

Again, Regina's heart stopped as she read the words, but her thoughts and shock were interrupted Doctor Grayson, who quietly appeared behind her and put her hand on the nurse's shoulder.

"Well, well, well," the doctor said with a smile. "Aren't those pretty."

"I… Yes… They're…"

"From your secret admirer?"

"Angelica…" the brunette replied, informally using the doctor's first name. "I don't think it's quite a secret anymore…"

"No?"

The doctor tried to stifle the slyness of her smile, but it remained on her lips.

Without a verbal reply, Regina placed the notes on the desk in a row, in the order in which she'd received them, then looked back up at the woman who had grown to become her friend as well as her co-worker. The doctor continued to smile as she gazed down at the notes, her eyes lingering on the last one as she realized what Emma had intended.

"What do you think?" Regina finally asked, looking anxious for the woman's reply.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"I mean… Well… Isn't… Isn't it… Well… You know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't."

The doctor kept her cards close to her chest as her smile brightened. She certainly wasn't going to openly spill Emma's cover and break her confidence. She preferred to let Regina make the realization on her own, rather than intervene or assist. She was proud of Emma for her move, though, and was happy that Regina had picked up on the florist's hint.

"Angelica, come on. Isn't it-"

"Well, whoever sent these seems to have taken a great deal of care in choosing the arrangement. They must really fancy you."

With only an encouraging wink, the woman grabbed a pile of folders off the desk and turned to continue making her rounds.

Too afraid to be confronted by Regina (or to be unnoticed by her), Emma slipped out the back doors of the hospital and pushed her cart all the way around the building back to her truck. She sat there for a while, just thinking about the expression of surprise on Regina's face when she'd brought her flowers for the first time, and the way the sorrow had seemed to leave her eyes as they lit up. With a sigh, she leaned back against the seat and shut her eyes.

I shouldn't have done that, she was thinking. I should've just let her think it was someone else. How am I gonna show my face in there ever again? Maybe Alex can take over the hospital deliveries…

But as appealing as this was, the idea of never seeing Regina's face again made her stomach flip with nausea. As the flowers brightened Regina's day, the nurse's smile brightened Emma's, and she wasn't sure if she could go without that for more than a few days. Maybe she'd continue to bring the woman flowers, but keep pretending that they were from someone else, and that the last note had never been delivered. Yes, that was it. Just pretend it never happened. That'll work. So that became the plan. Pretend it never happened. Perfect!


	2. Begging Love to Fill Your Eyes

The next day, she was happy to discover that there were no deliveries to the hospital. That would at least give her a little time to get over her frazzled nerves. In fact, there were few orders at all, so half-way through the day, once she was finished with her deliveries, she decided to go back to the shop and relieve her parents of their post.

"I got it, Mom," she assured the woman. "You guys should go home and relax for a while. I'll close up tonight. It's just another five hours, and it hasn't been busy at all today. I'll be fine."

"Alright, dear… If you're sure…" her mother replied skeptically.

"Have a good night, darling," her father said, kissing her cheek. "We love you, and we'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Go on, guys," Emma laughed. "Get out of here."

So they gathered their things and left, leaving the blonde on her own in the shop. Two or three customers came in during the next two hours, so Emma began to grow bored with her surroundings. Still, she was happy she had  _something_ to do, other than sit at home, stressing and moping about the beautiful nurse she had become so infatuated with.

Just when her thoughts turned back to the beautiful woman, filling the silence in her head, the phone rang.

"Hi," the woman on the end of the line started. "I, um…"

Emma swallowed hard as her head went into a spin, recognizing the voice immediately.  _What the fuck do I say?_  her mind instantly demanded.  _Game plan! Quick!_ What she came up with: play it cool and pretend you have no idea who's calling!

"Yes, ma'am?" Emma answered, her voice nearly cracking as the words came out.

"I, uh…" Regina tried again. "My name is Regina Mills. I was looking for Emma Swan. Would she happen to be there at the moment?"

"Hi, Regina!" the blonde said, forcing herself to sound chipper and carefree.

"Oh! Emma! I… Hi…"

"Looking to order some flowers?"

"Not… Not exactly…"

"What can I help you with, Miss?"

"Emma… You don't have to call me 'Miss.'"

"I call everyone 'Miss,'" Emma replied slowly, unsure of what else to say.

"I'm not everyone…"

"No… No, you're not."

Emma's breath caught in her chest as she waited for the woman's reply.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you the one giving me flowers?"

"Of course I am, Regina. I'm your florist. It's kind of my job," the blonde laughed brightly, thankful to have come up with such a smooth response so quickly.

 _Stick to the plan,_  Emma, she told herself.  _Just play it cool._

"Yes, I know that. But are they  _from_ you?"

Emma paused and froze up, given that she'd hoped the woman would have let the subject drop after she'd played it off as nothing.  _Now what the fuck do I say?_  she was desperate to know. She had no answers, so she simply blurted out the first nonchalant thing that popped into her head.

"Now, why would I do that?" When there was an awkward silence on the other end of the line, Emma realized that the woman was likely embarrassed and possibly even offended by the question, so she sighed sadly and said, "I'm sorry. There are plenty of reasons why I would do that."

"Like what?" the nurse finally asked, sounding unsure.

"Firstly, you seemed to be a little down before the first delivery, and I would do anything in my power to cheer you up and see you smile. Second, you're sweeter than sweet tea, and I just couldn't it. Third, you are absolutely stunning, in every way. And fourth, it's the only way I know how to express myself."

_Oh, fuck._

There was another long silence on the other end of the line where Emma became sure that she was going to die of embarrassment. It seemed to go on forever, but when it ended, the wave of relief that crashed over her, washing away her shame from head to toe, was intense enough to take her breath away again.

"That is the most touching thing anyone has ever said to me." When the florist remained quiet, Regina added, "Thank you, Emma."

"I didn't say it to flatter you," Emma told her. "I said it because it's true, and I think that if you have a strong enough desire to call to confront me about it, you deserve my honesty."

"You weren't going to tell me."

"No… No, I wasn't."

"Why?"

"Because I… You… You've never noticed me. You've always assumed they were from someone else, and I just figured… Maybe the mystery of it made you feel good. You always seemed so happy to get them. Sometimes, you looked so sad, and I just… I just wanted to make you feel better. To see you smile."

"Emma…"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you any of this. It's stupid. I should've just let you think they were from someone else so I could keep bringing them to you."

"Meaning you won't again?"

"What…?"

"I didn't say I wanted you to stop."

"I…"

"Emma."

"Yeah?"

"You did cheer me up. I'm going through the darkest part of my life right now, and you've been the only light I could see."

"Are you… I mean… I'm not trying to intrude but… Are you at least… Are you alright? I mean… Is there anything I can do for you? Any way I can help?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. You  _are_ helping."

"But I… They're just flowers. They're… They're nothing compared to-"

"They're everything to me, Emma."

"I…"

"My mom's dying…"

"Oh, my God, Regina. I am  _so_ sorry. Is there anything I can do? Can I-"

"She doesn't have much longer. That's why I transferred to Mass General. To be close to her."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Your flowers reminded me that I wasn't alone."

"You still aren't..."

"I… I don't want you to stop sending them… You've made me so happy… Even when I'm hurting so badly."

 _You've._ _ **You've**_ _made me so happy._ The words played over and over again in Emma's head as she tried to formulate an appropriate response, but nothing came out. As embarrassed as she was, the words wouldn't come. She desperately searched for them, but they escaped her, and her face turned red from frustration.  _What can I even say to that? What can I even do for her?_

Before she could come up with anything remotely intelligent, the florist heard the soft bell ringing to announce a customer's entrance.

"Shit," she muttered, too softly for either to hear. "I'm so,  _so_ sorry, Regina, but I've got to go. I've got a customer. I promise I'll see you tomorrow."

"I… Bye, Emma."

Regina, who sounded more embarrassed than irritated, hung up before Emma had a chance to reply with her own goodbye.

Once the customer had been served and had left happily, Emma sat down on the counter and sighed, hanging her head in her hands as she thought about Regina's words.  _She just needs support right now,_ she reasoned.  _I just need to be there for her. As a friend. That's all this is._ But inside, of course, she hoped for so much more, and that desire took over her entire being. As frazzled as she was, she managed to come up with a plan for the next day that involved a great deal of courage and bravery.

First thing in the morning, Emma arrived at the hospital, but entered through the back. She was lucky enough to find Doctor Grayson in the hallway around the corner.

"Doctor Grayson, could I have a word?" she asked shyly, standing beside the woman, who unfortunately looked quite busy as she scribbled frantically on the clipboard she was holding.

"Of course, dear," the woman said with a smile, looking up to meet Emma's anxious gaze. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

"Regina told me that her mom is sick and that she's being treated here. Do you happen to know what room she's in?"

"She told you that?"

"She did."

"I'm surprised. She's  _very_ closed off about it. Sadly, I have to say that I've found her crying in the bathroom numerous times. I tried to comfort her, but she never wants to talk about it, which I certainly don't blame her for. The only time I see her really smile is when you deliver those flowers," Doctor Grayson told her. "She showed me your notes. They were lovely, dear. You did a great job. I assume that's how you two ended up finally talking?"

"Sort of…" Emma replied slowly, biting her lip. "But listen, I  _really_ need to know what room her mom is in. I'd really like to at least do  _something_ for her, you know?"

"She's in room 524. She's resting, though, so you'll need to be quiet, alright?"

"Of course, Doctor Grayson."

"Sweetheart, you can call me Angelica. I've told you that several times."

"I know… I just-"

"Really, dear. Angelica is just fine."

"Thank you, Angelica… Thank you  _so_ much. For everything."

Before Emma turned away, the woman touched her shoulder and pulled her back gently, saying, "What you're doing for Regina's mother – and what you've done for Regina – is  _very_  sweet, Emma."

"I just hope she doesn't think I'm… You know… I don't know. I just… I don't want it to be too much, you know?"

"Oh, I'm sure it will be perfect, coming from you."

Biting her lip, Emma nodded her head weakly and turned to go back to her truck. After  _several_ trips and numerous full carts, the nurse's mother's room was completely surrounded with beautiful white roses. Luckily for her, the woman did not wake up or even stir in her bed. She simply continued to breathe deeply in her sleep, looking more peaceful than she probably felt. Next, she snuck back out into the hallway to find Doctor Grayson, praying she wouldn't run into her crush. The blonde found the doctor near one of the other desks in the back and was relieved to find that she was alone.

"Angelica?" she said slowly, showing her nervousness by biting her lip again.

"What is it, dear? How'd it go?"

"It… I… I think it looks good, but I… There's a part two to this plan, and I… I sort of need your help…"

"What can I do for you, sweetheart? I'd be glad to do anything I can to help."

"Would you mind making sure that she's not around the front desk for maybe 20 minutes or so? Please? I want to do something for her too."

"Oh, Emma. You are just  _too sweet,_ aren't you?!" the doctor exclaimed, clapping her hands together once in gesture of excitement. "Of course I'll do that for you!"

The blonde couldn't help but grin happily, completely elated by the woman's response. She ran out to her truck, which was parked in the back, then drove it around to the front of the building, waited a few minutes, and started to unload the next cart of her delivery. After about fifteen minutes, the entire front desk and the area behind it was completely covered in soft pink roses, with a note that simply read,  _'To keep you smiling.'_

As soon as she was sure that everything was arranged perfectly, she stepped around the corner and waited with her cart (which was filled with the actual deliveries for the day). A few minutes later, when Regina rounded the corner on the other side and stopped in front of the desk to stare breathlessly, Emma casually pushed her cart out into the lobby.

At first, Regina didn't hear or notice her, but eventually, she saw the shadow of the florist standing with her cart appear on the floor beside her and quickly turned around.

"Oh, my God," she breathed. "Emma…"

"Someone must really fancy you," the blonde replied with a wink and a casual smile. Then, she added, "I think you should go see your mum. I'm gonna go finish these deliveries."

With that, Emma turned and did exactly that. A half an hour later, she made her way back to the nurse's mother's room, where she found Regina on her knees, crying quietly as she covered her face with her hands. As soon as the woman's devoted florist saw this, she instantly dropped to her own knees beside the nurse and put her hand on Regina's shoulder.

"Regina? Are you… Did I-"

But she was quickly cut off as Regina pushed her hand away, spun around, and threw her arms around Emma's neck.

"Oh, Emma," she whispered into the woman's neck. "No one's ever done anything like this for me. She's going to love it. Thank you  _so_ much."

Regina seemed to be content to leave her arms around the caring florist, but Emma pulled away slowly and lifted the woman's chin. Once their eyes met, the blonde used her thumbs to wipe away the nurse's tears.

"I would do anything to see you smile," Emma said softly. "Please don't cry, sweetheart."

But Regina was too overwhelmed with emotion to respond, so she simply sniffled and moved closer and fell into a tight embrace, which the other woman returned tenderly as she rubbed her hands over the woman's back to comfort her.

When she finally pulled away of her own accord to look back into Emma's eyes, the brunette was no longer crying, but her eyes were still red and wet.

"I… Regina… I have to go finish these deliveries, but I'll be done by five, okay? And… And if you'd like to… I'd love to see you again tonight…"

"Regina?" the woman on the hospital bed said softly.

Startled by this, the two quickly rose to their feet just in time for the nurse's mother to open her eyes and look around the room.

"Oh, my!" her mother exclaimed. "I… Where did these all come from?!"

"Mom… This is Emma. She's the florist for the hospital, and after I told her that you were sick, she was kind enough to bring you flowers."

"Oh, my goodness!" the woman cried. "You didn't have to-" she was interrupted by a deep cough that shook her body before continuing "-to do that, but I… I'm so, so grateful. They're absolutely  _beautiful_. As are you, my dear."

"Emma has been bringing me flowers for quite some time now," her daughter explained with a gentle smile.

At this, the woman's eyes widened. Suddenly, it all sunk in. The flowers. The tenderness in Regina's voice. The way Emma was gazing lovingly at her daughter.

"She seems like a wonderful young lady, Regina," her mother commented. Then, looking at Emma, she added, "I hope that you will continue to treat my daughter the way you have been, Miss. If not, I'll come back and haunt you from my grave. Is that clear, young lady?"

"Mom!" Regina cried, turning bright red. "It's not like-"

"Absolutely clear, ma'am. I will," Emma cut in, her voice stony and serious. "I would never dream of hurting your daughter. Although, you should know that nothing is going on between us, but she is certainly someone that I care for deeply, and I would do anything to make her happy."

"That sounds like love to me," the older woman chuckled, smiling at both of them.

Regina looked horrified, and protested, "Mom…"

"Don't let this one go, Regina," her mother ordered. "Is that clear?"

"I…"

"Regina. Don't think you can fool your own mother. I might be ill, but I'm not stupid, or blind. I can see the way you look at her."

At this, Regina's mouth fell open, as did Emma's. When they shared a glance, the nurse's mother's smile brightened proudly.

"You too make an adorable couple."

"Mom… We're not-" Regina tried, but was quickly cut off again.

"You take my daughter out for dinner, tonight, you hear?" the woman cut in, clearly addressing Emma.

"I… But she…"

"Don't let her stay here and mope around like she normally does. Take her somewhere nice."

"Mom! She doesn't have to do that!" Regina cried, still red from embarrassment.

"No, I don't have to," Emma agreed, turning to the brunette beside her. "But I want to, if that's agreeable to you."

"Why don't you cut out early, Regina? I'm sure Doctor Grayson wouldn't mind. You work enough overtime, I think. Let this fine young lady take you out and show you a good time."

When the woman winked at her, Emma blushed as well, then turned back to face the nurse.

"Regina?" she asked shyly. "Do… Do you want to?"

"Of course she wants to!" the brunette's mother answered for her. "Now, get this girl out of here before she turns into a crazy cat lady, without the cats."

At a loss for words, Regina stepped closer to the bed and kissed her mother's cheek and gave her a weak smile.

Before she could pull away, the woman said in her ear (loudly enough for Emma to hear her too), "It's okay to kiss on the first date, dear. Especially if she looks like that one."

Completely mortified, Regina muttered, "Okay, Mum. I love you, and I'll come back to check on you later tonight."

"Don't you dare! You're not scheduled back here until the morning. I'll be fine. I'm feeling alright. I'll see you when you come in for rounds, darling. Go have fun."

After another wink from her mother, Regina finally turned around and followed Emma out of the room. Once they were out in the hallway and the room's door was closed, they stood staring at each other, both still red in the face from embarrassment.

"I… Listen… If you don't want-" Emma started.

"I do…" Regina replied slowly.

This brought a smile to Emma's face and made her just a little less nervous. At least, she was just confident enough to continue down the hallway beside Regina. Once they were at the front desk and Regina had received approval from Doctor Grayson to leave early, the nurse signed herself out and followed the florist out the front doors (after first taking one last long gaze at her floral display).

"Where do you wanna go?" Emma asked, looking over at the brunette nervously.

"Anywhere, with you," Regina confessed shyly.

"Let's get lunch? I don't have any more deliveries today. If you want to meet me at the shop, I can drop off the truck, and we can take my car somewhere."

"What's wrong with the truck?"

"Well, I don't know… I mean… It's kinda silly…"

"I don't think it's silly."

"It is, though," the blonde protested, glancing over at where the vehicle was parked.

"Alright, well why don't we do this? Let's take my car. I'll bring you somewhere."

"Actually… In that case… Would you mind bringing me home real quick? I'm thinking maybe we could grab some food and sort of picnic by the water?"

"Oh, wow… Emma, that's… That would be…"

Seeing that Regina was obviously pleased and flattered by this idea, Emma bravely took the woman's hand, squeezed it gently, and said, "Lead the way, Princess."

Once they arrived at the park near the water, the two set down their basket of food on one of the picnic tables and looked around, then sat facing each other.

"It's beautiful by the water," Regina said breathlessly, staring out at the boats in the harbor.

"It is, with you here," the blonde replied shyly, dropping her gaze to the table.

"You're too sweet to me, Emma…"

When Emma finally raised her eyes, she said, "Nothing could be too sweet for you, my dear."

At first, Regina hesitated, but her eyes dropped – all too obviously – to Emma's smooth, pink lips. When the blonde saw this, her tongue slipped out and wet them subconsciously as her own eyes began to stare at Regina's in return. Instead of making the move she clearly wanted to, the brunette leaned in and kissed Emma's cheek, letting her touch linger there for a little longer than necessary.

Once they'd finished eating, Emma turned around – her back was facing the water – and looked out at the boats. After a long, contented sigh, she looked back at Regina, who was looking at her, rather than the water. When she realized this, Emma blushed, but was brave enough to speak.

"Come sit with me?" she offered, patting the spot on the bench beside her.

Regina nodded and moved to do exactly that. When she was beside Emma, her hand dropped to the bench, where – of course – it accidentally bumped her companion's. She moved to pull away, mumbling an apology, but Emma caught her hand before she could move it out of reach.

"It's okay," Emma told her softly. "You don't have to be nervous."

They sat like that for a while, just watching the calmness of the gentle waves and avoiding each other's gaze. After some time, Regina gained the courage to look over at Emma, then suddenly found herself unable to look away. The woman's profile, her gentle smile, her shining eyes… It was all too much to tear her own eyes away from. As fearful as she was that the blonde would notice her staring, she still could not force herself to drop her gaze.

And of course, Emma did notice.

"I…" Regina started, trying to think of something to cover up the obviousness of what she'd just been doing. Thankfully, she noticed a few tiny crumbs beside Emma's mouth, and said, "You've got… You have… There's…"

When Emma looked confused, the brunette reached out and used her thumb to brush the remainder of the woman's sandwich away from her cheek.

"Oh… Oops," Emma muttered with a blush. "My bad."

"No, it's… It was cute," the nurse told her with a small smile.

Even though the crumbs were gone, Regina's hand lingered, with her thumb resting on Emma's cheek. Unintentionally, she found herself leaning in, but when she noticed what she was doing, she immediately pulled away.

"Hey," the blonde said gently. "It's okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want to, alright? It's fine that you're just doing this for your mum."

"What?!" Regina gasped. "I'm not!"

"You're not?"

"Of  _course_  not!"

"But I thought… It seemed like…"

"I'm doing this because I want to be around you."

"I… Oh…"

As soon as Emma dropped her gaze and looked embarrassed, Regina touched her cheek again and said softly, "Emma. Look at me." When the woman lifted her head, she continued, "You are the most wonderful, caring person I know. There's no one I'd rather be here with. No one."

Her date opened her mouth to speak, but no sound slipped past her lips. Instead, she continued to stare at Regina's face, and then at her lips. Once Regina realized this, she leaned in once again, this time not stopping when their faces were close.

Once her lips were hovering in front of Emma's, the brunette brushed her thumb over the florist's cheek once more and whispered, "Is this okay?"

Emma nodded slowly as her face grew hot with anticipation.  _This is way more than okay,_ she was thinking, as her breath caught in her chest.  _I can't believe this is really happening._ After this, she swallowed hard and pushed her fear back down into her stomach. Then, her lips parted just in time for Regina to catch them with her own. The kiss was slow, unhurried, and they made it last. Regina only pulled away to whisper the woman's name against her lips.

Now, Emma really  _could_ taste the sound of her name on the nurse's lips, and it made her stomach turn.

"I've waited forever to hear you say my name like that," Emma confessed, once they'd finally separated.

Regina's face was also red, but she managed to reply smoothly, saying, "And I've been waiting forever to say it."

"Really?"

"Of course," the brunette replied with a wink. "You're the sweetest, more adorable florist I've ever met. How could I not have been crushing on you?"

"I… had… no idea… If I'd known, I would've-"

"I didn't know you were crushing on me either. Not until the last note you left me. I had no idea. I thought you were just… you know… being nice."

"More like infatuated," the florist laughed, shaking her head. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since we met."

"What? Really…?"

"Really."

The next kiss they shared was deeper, more intimate, and it sent shivers through each of their bodies. When they moved away, they were both breathless.

"So… dinner at my place?" Emma finally offered with a shy smile.

When Regina nodded her head happily, the blonde tucked a few stray hairs behind the woman's ear and kissed her cheek.

Back at Emma's apartment, when she put her MP3 player on shuffle for the two to listen to while making dinner, the same ironically fitting song poured through the speakers.

_Now take your time to answer me_

_For the beauty of romancing_

_Is to calm your trembling hand with mine_

_While beggin' love to fill your eyes_


End file.
